More than 100 masked demonstrators clashed Saturday with Swedish police outside a sports arena amid a larger protest against the Scandinavian countrys Davis Cup tie against Israel. Youths clad in black, their faces covered with masks, threw bottles of paint, stones and firecrackers at police in riot squad vans and on horseback, sending the horses into a panic.
One of the demonstrators climbed onto a police van and, applauded by the crowd, stomped on its flashing lights until they were smashed to bits. Another demonstrator drew a large "A" on the window of a police car.
"We are ... anarchists who want to protest against the fact that there are this many police officers to protect the representatives of a repressive occupying force that massacred so many innocent people in Gaza," the demonstrator, who identified himself only as Jan, told AFP.
The large police deployment then charged the demonstrators, who were shouting "stop the match," and arrested at least five people, police spokesman Lars-Haakan Lindholm said. The violent demonstrators were part of a larger, authorised demonstration organised by the Stop the Match network to protest against Israels recent offensive in Gaza.
The march, which gathered between 6,000 and 10,000 demonstrators according to various estimates from police and organisers, wound up around 3:30 pm (1430 GMT). Police were also stationed early Saturday around Malmoes train station to check trains from neighbouring Denmark for troublemakers. Due to security fears, Malmoe city council had ordered the three-day World Group first round match played behind closed doors.
On Friday, some 200 people demonstrated peacefully outside the Baltiska Hallen arena, as Sweden and Israel each won a singles match. On Saturday, Sweden won the doubles match, as Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt defeated Israels Amir Hadad and Andy Ram 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4. Inside the stadium, only teams, media and guests were allowed in the stands which normally seat 4,000 people. The tie wraps up on Sunday, when two singles matches are to be played.
ARGENTINA RACE INTO QUARTERS
BUENOS AIRES: Argentina, last years beaten finalists, cruised into the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup on Saturday after establishing a 3-0 winning lead. Martin Vassallo Arguello and Lucas Arnold Ker flattened Rogier Wassen and Jesse Huta Galung 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in the doubles to add to Fridays opening singles wins by Juan Ignacio Chela over Huta Galung and Juan Monaco over Thiemo De Bakker.
Those wins rendered academic Monacos return singles against Huta Galung and Chelas match against De Bakker on Sunday. Argentina, who have never won the Cup, are desperate to go one better than last years final loss on home territory against Spain which was the South Americans third reverse in a trophy match. Debutant Arguello and Arnold, who is back after recovering from testicular cancer which forced the 34-year-old off the circuit in 2006, took just 2hr 3min to see off inexperienced rivals.
CZECHS CUT DOWN FRENCH MUSKETEERS
Unheralded Czech Republic made a mockery of Frances boasts of their modern-day Musketeers by taking a huge step closer to the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek saw off Richard Gasquet and Michael Llodra 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the first round clash and will need just one more point on Sunday to book a last-eight place against Argentina.
France went into the tie believing their squad of Gasquet, Llodra as well as Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga represented their strongest side since the fabled Henri Cochet, Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra and Jacques Brugnon, who won every Davis Cup between 1927 and 1932.